Latest / Inside the Birds: A Philadelphia Eagles Podcast / The DiCecco Daily: Early Thoughts On Eagles Week 1 Matchup Vs. Commanders

Transcript

The DiCecco Daily: Early Thoughts On Eagles Week 1 Matchup Vs. Commanders · Inside the Birds: A Philadelphia Eagles Podcast

• 0:09
  Speaker 1: Hello everyone and welcome in to another episode of the
• 0:12
  Speaker 1: Checo Daily. It's Andrew DiCecco, Eagles beat reporter for InsideTheBirds.com.
• 0:17
  Speaker 1: And we have real NFL football this weekend. That's right,
• 0:21
  Speaker 1: the Eagles and Commanders kick off at 425 Sunday at
• 0:25
  Speaker 1: Lincoln Financial Field. I cannot wait to cover that game.
• 0:28
  Speaker 1: We'll have our first injury report on Wednesday, probably around
• 0:32
  Speaker 1: 530 or 6 o'clock.
• 0:33
  Speaker 2: You can expect that. Tomorrow, which is Wednesday, will be
• 0:38
  Speaker 2: the first open locker room of the season. Looking forward
• 0:41
  Speaker 2: to that.
• 0:42
  Speaker 1: And that's where I'll be able to fill you guys
• 0:45
  Speaker 1: in on who will be my rookie diary subject this year.
• 0:49
  Speaker 1: There's a couple of really good options that I'm torn between.
• 0:53
  Speaker 1: And I have some thoughts about the game this weekend.
• 0:57
  Speaker 1: And this is sort of things that I've been kicking
• 1:00
  Speaker 1: around in my mind.
• 1:01
  Speaker 2: Nothing really structured here.
• 1:05
  Speaker 1: So I'm kind of just going to I'm going to
• 1:07
  Speaker 1: give you what I've been thinking about as it pertains
• 1:10
  Speaker 1: to this game. And everyone is really looking forward to
• 1:15
  Speaker 1: seeing this offense. I certainly am. I'm really intrigued to
• 1:18
  Speaker 1: see what they come out showing. We have an idea
• 1:21
  Speaker 1: of what they're going to show, but there's always the
• 1:25
  Speaker 1: element of surprise. And certainly you're not going to show
• 1:28
  Speaker 1: everything in the media-attended practices.
• 1:31
  Speaker 2: So you can expect under center, play action.
• 1:34
  Speaker 1: The wide zone running schemes, the middle of the field utilization,
• 1:37
  Speaker 1: and a lot of those different things that we've talked
• 1:41
  Speaker 1: a lot about this summer. But I want to see
• 1:44
  Speaker 1: it in action, and I'm really looking forward to it.
• 1:46
  Speaker 1: The Eagles have a healthy offensive line that gives them
• 1:49
  Speaker 1: the edge in this game, especially to start the season.
• 1:53
  Speaker 1: Saquon Barkley, I believe, is primed for a monster year.
• 1:56
  Speaker 2: He looks great.
• 1:57
  Speaker 1: He is probably somebody that we didn't talk a lot
• 2:00
  Speaker 1: about in training camp because a lot of what he
• 2:03
  Speaker 1: does is maybe taken for granted. He's a very steady
• 2:06
  Speaker 1: and consistent player, but I can tell you that.
• 2:08
  Speaker 2: He looks spry.
• 2:09
  Speaker 1: He looks explosive and ready to handle a large amount
• 2:14
  Speaker 1: of volume this year because this is what the offense
• 2:17
  Speaker 1: is going to be all about, the running game, and
• 2:20
  Speaker 1: Saquon Barkley and the Eagles' offensive line. I think this
• 2:22
  Speaker 1: wide zone– Blocking scheme is really going to help the
• 2:27
  Speaker 1: Eagles and accentuate the offensive linemen that they have, namely
• 2:32
  Speaker 1: Lane Johnson and Mailata, Tyler Steen and Cam Juergens.
• 2:35
  Speaker 2: I think it's really going to suit well.
• 2:37
  Speaker 1: Maybe if you're looking at it, Landon Dickerson may be
• 2:41
  Speaker 1: better suited for the inside zone dominant. scheme that they
• 2:45
  Speaker 1: were doing, but I think he can handle any scheme.
• 2:48
  Speaker 1: But I'm really looking forward to seeing the running game
• 2:50
  Speaker 1: and how they utilize and incorporate Tank Bigsby, who offers
• 2:54
  Speaker 1: a different dimension to this offense and can add a
• 2:57
  Speaker 1: spark at any given moment.
• 2:59
  Speaker 2: Maybe Will Shipley as well as a receiver.
• 3:01
  Speaker 1: Who would factor pretty prominently in that area in training camp.
• 3:05
  Speaker 1: They have a really good group of running backs, and
• 3:07
  Speaker 1: I do believe that you're going to see them, especially
• 3:10
  Speaker 1: Saquon Barkley, needless to say, featured in Sunday afternoon quite
• 3:14
  Speaker 1: a bit. As it pertains to the passing game, I
• 3:17
  Speaker 1: think Jalen Hurts made some strides throughout the summer. And
• 3:21
  Speaker 1: it's the willingness to fit the ball into tight windows
• 3:23
  Speaker 1: that I was most, I guess, encouraged with. Because in
• 3:27
  Speaker 1: the past, as we all know, this offense has been
• 3:30
  Speaker 1: very risk-averse. And I think, I know, that starts from
• 3:34
  Speaker 1: the top with Nick Sirianni. That's something he really believes in.
• 3:37
  Speaker 1: The Eagles drill ball security in training camp. They preach
• 3:40
  Speaker 1: it and they live it. And I think sometimes it
• 3:43
  Speaker 1: could be a little bit in excess because I think
• 3:49
  Speaker 1: it precludes the Eagles from really trying some.
• 3:52
  Speaker 2: Different things in a game and opening things up a
• 3:54
  Speaker 2: little bit. But in this offense, it's timing-based.
• 3:56
  Speaker 1: The ball's got to come out on time, and you're
• 3:58
  Speaker 1: going to have to fit the ball into tight windows
• 4:00
  Speaker 1: to keep it on schedule. And I'm curious to see
• 4:03
  Speaker 1: how Jalen looks. I think, as I mentioned, there were
• 4:06
  Speaker 1: some strides made in the summer.
• 4:08
  Speaker 2: Started out a little rough. That's to be expected. This
• 4:10
  Speaker 2: is a new offense.
• 4:12
  Speaker 1: But The group of wide receivers that he has, Devontae Smith,
• 4:16
  Speaker 1: I believe, is primed for a really big season. And
• 4:19
  Speaker 1: I know he missed a lot of time in the
• 4:21
  Speaker 1: summer with a hamstring injury. There's not a lot of
• 4:24
  Speaker 1: questions that I have about Devontae. He's been a top
• 4:26
  Speaker 1: receiver before when he was a rookie, and he's only
• 4:30
  Speaker 1: gotten better exponentially year over year. So in this case,
• 4:34
  Speaker 1: I think Devontae is going to see growth.
• 4:37
  Speaker 2: Lion's share of the targets.
• 4:38
  Speaker 1: But Dontavian Wicks is a player that this week I
• 4:41
  Speaker 1: think you're going to learn a lot about and at
• 4:43
  Speaker 1: least have an idea of how the Eagles intend to
• 4:45
  Speaker 1: use him in the offense. I'm expecting a lot of
• 4:48
  Speaker 1: short to intermediate targets where he can really tap into
• 4:52
  Speaker 1: his route running prowess and you'll see his ability to
• 4:55
  Speaker 1: kind of use his frame to shield defensive backs. He
• 4:58
  Speaker 1: plays with an edge, which I think will add a
• 5:00
  Speaker 1: nice little spark to this offense. And I think he's
• 5:05
  Speaker 1: going to have a decent amount of targets. Wouldn't surprise
• 5:07
  Speaker 1: me if he has five or so catches in this game.
• 5:10
  Speaker 1: And then Makai Lemon is obviously the big question here
• 5:13
  Speaker 1: because he missed a lot of time in training camp.
• 5:15
  Speaker 1: But the Eagles, when Makai Lemon returned to practice, they
• 5:19
  Speaker 1: wasted no time getting him back involved with the first team.
• 5:22
  Speaker 1: They found ways to get him manufactured touches. He's going
• 5:26
  Speaker 1: to be involved in the game plan, but it might
• 5:28
  Speaker 1: take a little bit of time for him to really take.
• 5:31
  Speaker 2: Flight because he's making up for lost time.
• 5:34
  Speaker 1: But that's not to say that they won't find ways
• 5:36
  Speaker 1: to get him the football in different ways.
• 5:39
  Speaker 2: And I am very curious to see that.
• 5:41
  Speaker 1: Interestingly enough, When the Eagles released their first unofficial depth chart,
• 5:47
  Speaker 1: they had.
• 5:47
  Speaker 2: Makai Lemon as the punt returner.
• 5:49
  Speaker 1: And I thought maybe you might see Elijah Moore there,
• 5:52
  Speaker 1: but Makai Lemon is someone who has worked there a
• 5:54
  Speaker 1: little bit when he's been available on the field in
• 5:57
  Speaker 1: training camp.
• 5:58
  Speaker 2: If you're looking at his.
• 6:00
  Speaker 1: Preseason performance in that finale, I know that that may
• 6:03
  Speaker 1: cause some reservations.
• 6:05
  Speaker 2: But they have someone like Elijah Moore.
• 6:06
  Speaker 1: And then Britton Covey, of course, is on the practice squad.
• 6:09
  Speaker 1: The Eagles have a lot of trust and a lot
• 6:11
  Speaker 1: of history with him. And Britton's been very successful in
• 6:15
  Speaker 1: that role in the past for the Eagles. So it
• 6:17
  Speaker 1: wouldn't surprise me at all if he was one of
• 6:19
  Speaker 1: the week one elevations.
• 6:20
  Speaker 2: But we're not there yet.
• 6:22
  Speaker 1: But other than that, there weren't a lot of surprises
• 6:24
  Speaker 1: there on the depth chart. They did not list a
• 6:27
  Speaker 1: number two quarterback. They're keeping that close to the vest.
• 6:29
  Speaker 1: Competitive advantage, as Nick Sirianni.
• 6:31
  Speaker 2: Likes to say. But then the defense is.
• 6:36
  Speaker 1: is something that I'm expecting the Eagles to really lean
• 6:39
  Speaker 1: on in this game, and that should be their most
• 6:42
  Speaker 1: sensible path to victory because the way I see it
• 6:45
  Speaker 1: right now is that this game is going to be
• 6:47
  Speaker 1: won in the trenches, meaning the offensive line and the
• 6:51
  Speaker 1: defensive line. And when I look at the commander's offensive line,
• 6:54
  Speaker 1: it's a patchwork group. There is a lot of vulnerability there.
• 6:58
  Speaker 1: You have Nick Allegretti. You have some other players that
• 7:02
  Speaker 1: I think teams have had success going up against.
• 7:06
  Speaker 2: They don't have Laramie Tunsell. Of course, he's injured.
• 7:09
  Speaker 1: And this is where I'm expecting this top-shelf defensive line
• 7:15
  Speaker 1: of the Eagles with Jalen Carter, who looks primed for
• 7:18
  Speaker 1: a breakout campaign. And I don't even necessarily want to
• 7:21
  Speaker 1: say breakout because he's done that before. It depends on
• 7:24
  Speaker 1: what your definition is. But I think he's going to
• 7:26
  Speaker 1: return to form. He looked great in training camp, explosive.
• 7:30
  Speaker 1: He looks a little leaner.
• 7:31
  Speaker 2: He's going to be able to kind of I.
• 7:34
  Speaker 1: Imagine, used this as motivation to get back to where
• 7:36
  Speaker 1: he was prior to last season because last year was
• 7:39
  Speaker 1: a down year by his standards. Jordan Davis, I mentioned
• 7:43
  Speaker 1: last week, elected a team captain and deservingly so. He's
• 7:46
  Speaker 1: taken on a much larger role and been vocal, been
• 7:49
  Speaker 1: sort of a spokesperson for the defense after games and
• 7:53
  Speaker 1: holding court in front of his locker during the week.
• 7:56
  Speaker 1: And it's been really It's been really cool to watch
• 7:59
  Speaker 1: his growth and emergence over the years. That's a testament
• 8:02
  Speaker 1: to the work that he's put in behind the scenes.
• 8:04
  Speaker 1: And he had five sacks last year. Do I expect
• 8:06
  Speaker 1: that to be sort of a... A hallmark of his game? No,
• 8:10
  Speaker 1: not necessarily. But he is someone who has made a
• 8:13
  Speaker 1: concerted effort to become a much more well-rounded player. He's
• 8:16
  Speaker 1: no longer the one-dimensional run defender that he was earlier
• 8:20
  Speaker 1: in his career. And there's a lot of confidence in
• 8:22
  Speaker 1: him to put him out there for more snaps, for
• 8:27
  Speaker 1: more downs, instead of just relegating him to a situational role.
• 8:31
  Speaker 1: And again, that goes back to him approaching the off-seasons.
• 8:36
  Speaker 2: In past years with.
• 8:39
  Speaker 1: with a purpose and with a certain mindset that he
• 8:41
  Speaker 1: wanted to get better and he wanted to be a,
• 8:43
  Speaker 1: a cornerstone piece for this Eagles team. And he took
• 8:48
  Speaker 1: it really seriously. I think he's another player that should
• 8:50
  Speaker 1: have some opportunities to collapse the pocket and, and, and
• 8:54
  Speaker 1: provide some pressure there on Jayden Daniels. And then this
• 8:57
  Speaker 1: won't be a surprise. You guys know how I feel
• 8:59
  Speaker 1: about Mauro Jomo. This is just a player that I
• 9:02
  Speaker 1: look at this matchup and I think this is Taylor's
• 9:05
  Speaker 1: made for him where he's going to be able to
• 9:08
  Speaker 1: wreak havoc along the interior where his quickness and use
• 9:10
  Speaker 1: of leverage should really come into play a really quick
• 9:14
  Speaker 1: burst off the ball and he had a tremendous training
• 9:17
  Speaker 1: camp he's playing for a major contract it's likely not
• 9:21
  Speaker 1: going to be in Philadelphia but needless to say there's
• 9:24
  Speaker 1: a lot of motivation that he's going to be entering
• 9:26
  Speaker 1: this season with he took on a really large role
• 9:28
  Speaker 1: last year he played 750 snaps I believe 66% of
• 9:32
  Speaker 1: the Eagles' defensive snaps. So he can clearly handle a
• 9:36
  Speaker 1: larger role despite maybe not having the prototypical size. So
• 9:39
  Speaker 1: I think all three of those defensive tackles are going
• 9:42
  Speaker 1: to have, I'll say, a field day against that commander's
• 9:48
  Speaker 1: offensive line just because I don't have a ton of
• 9:50
  Speaker 1: confidence that they're going to be able to block it up.
• 9:52
  Speaker 2: And that's going to be the strength of this Eagles team,
• 9:54
  Speaker 2: this defense. I think early in.
• 9:56
  Speaker 1: The season as their offense is trying to find their footing,
• 9:59
  Speaker 1: and there will be some broadcasters, moments. I'm not going
• 10:01
  Speaker 1: to tell you that they're going to come out like
• 10:03
  Speaker 1: the Chip Kelly offense in 2013. Maybe they will, but
• 10:06
  Speaker 1: it's important to temper those expectations. What you're looking for
• 10:10
  Speaker 1: is progress. You're looking for tangible progress. components that they
• 10:15
  Speaker 1: can look to build on week after week.
• 10:18
  Speaker 2: And it's going to get better over time.
• 10:20
  Speaker 1: The more time on task that they have, you can
• 10:22
  Speaker 1: expect to see a better offense and a more consistent one,
• 10:25
  Speaker 1: I would say.
• 10:26
  Speaker 3: Fall is the season where everyone gets busier. More calls,
• 10:30
  Speaker 3: more customers, more chances for something to slip through the cracks.
• 10:33
  Speaker 3: And staying ahead means having the right system, not just
• 10:37
  Speaker 3: working harder. That's why today's episode is brought to you
• 10:40
  Speaker 3: by Quo, spelled Q-U-O, the business phone system built so
• 10:45
  Speaker 3: you never miss a call. Quo is the number one
• 10:49
  Speaker 3: rated business phone system on G2, trusted by over 90,000
• 10:53
  Speaker 3: businesses who rely on it to stay reachable and look
• 10:57
  Speaker 3: professional every day.
• 10:59
  Speaker 4: Money is on the line. Always say hello with Quo.
• 11:02
  Speaker 3: Try Quo for free, plus get 20% off Your first
• 11:06
  Speaker 3: six months when you go to quo.com slash birds.
• 11:09
  Speaker 4: That's Q-U-O dot com slash birds.
• 11:13
  Speaker 3: Football is finally back, and PrizePix is bringing out their
• 11:16
  Speaker 3: best offer yet. New users who sign up will get
• 11:19
  Speaker 3: $ 150 in lineups if you win your first $ 5 lineup.
• 11:23
  Speaker 2: That's right.
• 11:24
  Speaker 3: If you win your first $ 5 lineup, you get $ 150
• 11:27
  Speaker 3: in lineups. And now, PrizePix is available nationwide.
• 11:32
  Speaker 4: So what are you waiting for? Lock in for kickoff.
• 11:35
  Speaker 4: Everyone and everything is on PrizePix. Okay, so what you
• 11:39
  Speaker 4: on in this football season? I'll tell you what I'm
• 11:41
  Speaker 4: all in on. The Bears offense. All right, you've already
• 11:45
  Speaker 4: heard their head coach say.
• 11:46
  Speaker 3: He wants to score the most points in NFL history,
• 11:50
  Speaker 3: and they have the personnel to do it. Go over,
• 11:53
  Speaker 3: check out Luther Burden, wide receiver Luther Burden's receiving yards
• 11:57
  Speaker 3: for the season.
• 11:57
  Speaker 4: I pick more on his receiving yards, and I'm not
• 12:00
  Speaker 4: even sweating it. You can thank me later. He's going
• 12:03
  Speaker 4: to be the guy on that Bears offense. Trust me
• 12:06
  Speaker 4: on that.
• 12:06
  Speaker 3: PrizePix is going crazy with the deals to start the
• 12:08
  Speaker 3: football season, giving users a new promo every day during
• 12:13
  Speaker 3: stacked September. Make sure to sign up now for guaranteed
• 12:17
  Speaker 3: picks every Sunday, along with profit boosts and daily discounts
• 12:21
  Speaker 3: throughout the month.
• 12:22
  Speaker 4: Plus, the app is simple to use.
• 12:24
  Speaker 3: You just pick two to six players, then pick more
• 12:26
  Speaker 3: or less on their projected stats, like pass yards or
• 12:29
  Speaker 3: rush yards and fantasy score. It's the best way to
• 12:33
  Speaker 3: get more locked in on game day.
• 12:35
  Speaker 2: That's super fun.
• 12:36
  Speaker 4: You can make all the picks you.
• 12:37
  Speaker 3: Want across any sport, all in the same app, download
• 12:41
  Speaker 3: the app today and use code birds to get $ 150.
• 12:45
  Speaker 4: Instantly in lineups.
• 12:46
  Speaker 3: If you win your.
• 12:47
  Speaker 4: First $ 5.
• 12:48
  Speaker 3: Lineup, remember download the app today, use code birds to
• 12:51
  Speaker 3: get 150 instantly in lineups.
• 12:53
  Speaker 4: If you win your.
• 12:55
  Speaker 3: First $ 5 lineup prize picks, run your game.
• 12:59
  Speaker 1: But in the interim, I think you're going to see
• 13:01
  Speaker 1: this defense really take command here. And I think in
• 13:05
  Speaker 1: this matchup in particular, it favors the Eagles' defensive line.
• 13:08
  Speaker 1: Jaden Daniels has been a quarterback that he's not afraid
• 13:12
  Speaker 1: to run the football.
• 13:13
  Speaker 2: He'll stand back there. He'll hold on to it. He's
• 13:16
  Speaker 2: taken a lot of hits in his young career. And
• 13:19
  Speaker 2: this is not the matchup that if you're.
• 13:21
  Speaker 1: Jaden Daniels, you want to hold on to that football
• 13:22
  Speaker 1: or take unnecessary risks because the Eagles have the speed
• 13:27
  Speaker 1: to close the edges.
• 13:29
  Speaker 2: And speed to get to the edges there and the linebackers.
• 13:33
  Speaker 1: So I do believe that this is going to be
• 13:36
  Speaker 1: a defensive effort.
• 13:37
  Speaker 2: They're going to take the lead here in this game.
• 13:42
  Speaker 1: I'm also curious to see how this secondary stacks up.
• 13:46
  Speaker 1: And this will be the first time that we'll get
• 13:49
  Speaker 1: to see Reek Wollin in a regular season game. I'm
• 13:52
  Speaker 1: expecting him to get targeted considerably more than Quinnion Mitchell
• 13:57
  Speaker 1: and Cooper DeGene.
• 13:58
  Speaker 2: So I don't have any questions about Cooper DeGene and
• 14:00
  Speaker 2: Quinnion Mitchell.
• 14:01
  Speaker 1: I've seen them plenty. They're all pro players. But then
• 14:03
  Speaker 1: you also have the safety situation, which Drew Makuba stepping
• 14:07
  Speaker 1: into the top role, taking over for Reed Blankenship. How's
• 14:11
  Speaker 1: the communication back there between Makuba.
• 14:14
  Speaker 2: And Marcus Epps? How does Marcus Epps fare?
• 14:16
  Speaker 1: He's a year older, but he's a player that Vic
• 14:18
  Speaker 1: Fangio and the Eagles really trust. So there's certain pieces
• 14:24
  Speaker 1: in the secondary that I will be keeping an eye on.
• 14:26
  Speaker 1: The commanders, they have some players on offense that can
• 14:31
  Speaker 1: cause some damage. I just don't know that Jaden Daniels
• 14:33
  Speaker 1: is going to have a lot of time to get
• 14:35
  Speaker 1: rid of the football, and I think the Eagles might
• 14:36
  Speaker 1: cause some flux up front there and force him off
• 14:41
  Speaker 1: his spot and maybe forcing him to put the ball
• 14:45
  Speaker 1: where he doesn't want to put it, and that could
• 14:47
  Speaker 1: lead to some turnovers. But I don't know that this
• 14:51
  Speaker 1: game needs to be any more complicated than what it is.
• 14:54
  Speaker 1: I think the Eagles are going to win this game.
• 14:56
  Speaker 1: It might not be pretty, but the defense, as I mentioned,
• 14:59
  Speaker 1: should take center stage in this one and be the
• 15:02
  Speaker 1: driving force to victory. I am curious because I've gotten
• 15:07
  Speaker 1: a lot of questions about Jonathan Grenard and am I
• 15:09
  Speaker 1: expecting him to play week one? To be honest with you,
• 15:12
  Speaker 1: I don't know that yet. I can't really answer that
• 15:15
  Speaker 1: without seeing a Wednesday injury report, which kind of gives
• 15:19
  Speaker 1: you some clues and an indication of what you might
• 15:22
  Speaker 1: be able to expect later in the week. But I
• 15:24
  Speaker 1: would be surprised if he played, just given the nature
• 15:28
  Speaker 1: of his injury, it might take some time for him
• 15:30
  Speaker 1: to ramp up and build up that stamina. With the
• 15:33
  Speaker 1: injury that he had, I can't imagine that he was
• 15:35
  Speaker 1: able to lift weights and do some things like that.
• 15:37
  Speaker 1: So going out there for the first time and six
• 15:41
  Speaker 1: weeks or longer is a tall order. But the fact
• 15:45
  Speaker 1: that he is on the 53-man roster and he didn't
• 15:47
  Speaker 1: start on any list suggests that he's trending in the
• 15:50
  Speaker 1: right direction. But as I've written on InsideTheBirds.com, which you
• 15:55
  Speaker 1: can read that, it was up this morning, the Eagles
• 15:58
  Speaker 1: are more than equipped to be able to handle any
• 16:03
  Speaker 1: amount of time that Grenard wouldn't be there if he
• 16:05
  Speaker 1: isn't available for the opener because they have J. Lux Hunt,
• 16:08
  Speaker 1: who I think is going to become a household name
• 16:11
  Speaker 1: this year. The buzz around him is legitimate, and I
• 16:15
  Speaker 1: think he's going to take a big step forward in
• 16:17
  Speaker 1: his progression this season. And the summer that he had,
• 16:21
  Speaker 1: it probably overshadowed the consistency that Nolan Smith showed. And
• 16:27
  Speaker 1: we know that Nolan is such a dominant force at
• 16:30
  Speaker 1: the point of attack.
• 16:31
  Speaker 2: And I've said this before, I believe that pound for pound,
• 16:36
  Speaker 2: you'd be.
• 16:37
  Speaker 1: I mean, you're going to have to look really hard
• 16:39
  Speaker 1: to find an edge rusher who plays with more physicality
• 16:43
  Speaker 1: and more violence than Nolan Smith. He's healthy right now,
• 16:46
  Speaker 1: so I think that that should give him a faster start.
• 16:50
  Speaker 1: And he showed some juice as a pass rusher as well.
• 16:53
  Speaker 1: He wasn't as splashy as J. Looks Hunt was this summer,
• 16:56
  Speaker 1: but I've.
• 16:57
  Speaker 2: Seen enough of Nolan Smith to give me confidence that
• 17:00
  Speaker 2: he's able to step into a larger role here. If
• 17:02
  Speaker 2: it's needed, and then you.
• 17:03
  Speaker 1: Have two players behind them in Arnold Ebikedi and AJ Epinesa,
• 17:08
  Speaker 1: who have combined for 158 games, 31 starts, they add
• 17:12
  Speaker 1: something different. Epinesa is more of the explosive athletic guy
• 17:16
  Speaker 1: who the Eagles.
• 17:17
  Speaker 2: Liked quite a bit.
• 17:18
  Speaker 1: Dating back to college, and then Epinesa gives you a
• 17:21
  Speaker 1: different dimension in the sense that his body type and
• 17:24
  Speaker 1: play style differentiates himself from anyone else in that room,
• 17:29
  Speaker 1: and it really shows up against the run where his
• 17:31
  Speaker 1: physicality and edge-setting ability sort of sets him apart. So
• 17:36
  Speaker 1: I think they have a wide range of players with
• 17:38
  Speaker 1: different skill sets that can fill in while they wait
• 17:41
  Speaker 1: for Grenard to return, if in fact he is not
• 17:44
  Speaker 1: available to play week one or whatever the case is.
• 17:50
  Speaker 1: NFL football is back starting tomorrow, Wednesday night, where you'll
• 17:55
  Speaker 1: see a rematch of the Super Bowl. I cannot wait
• 17:57
  Speaker 1: for this game. If you are someone who plays fantasy football,
• 18:01
  Speaker 1: I do not. I haven't played for a few years now,
• 18:04
  Speaker 1: but I would hope that you would have bought all
• 18:09
  Speaker 1: the stock possible in Drake May and A.J.
• 18:12
  Speaker 2: Brown.
• 18:13
  Speaker 1: I think both are primed to have a pretty seismic season,
• 18:18
  Speaker 1: and Supporting that is the fact that they've also added
• 18:23
  Speaker 1: Romeo Dobbs to the receiving core, so you can't necessarily
• 18:26
  Speaker 1: focus all on A.J. I think their offensive line is solid,
• 18:30
  Speaker 1: and seeing them up close at joint practices maybe gives
• 18:32
  Speaker 1: me a different perspective on this team, but they are
• 18:35
  Speaker 1: a pretty well-rounded group. and they're about five or six
• 18:39
  Speaker 1: receivers deep, so they have a lot of depth there,
• 18:42
  Speaker 1: and we'll see what happens with the running back situation.
• 18:45
  Speaker 1: I know Travion Henderson is dealing with an ankle injury
• 18:47
  Speaker 1: that he's had since August 24th, but Ramondre Stevenson is
• 18:51
  Speaker 1: their starter, and he's the one who's going to see
• 18:55
  Speaker 1: the lion's share of the work as it is. I
• 18:59
  Speaker 1: like what I saw from them from an offensive standpoint.
• 19:02
  Speaker 1: And then defensively, I mean, you have Christian Gonzalez, who
• 19:05
  Speaker 1: just got paid. They're secondary with Craig Woodson as a safety,
• 19:08
  Speaker 1: who I really like coming out of Cal. I thought
• 19:11
  Speaker 1: he was a really good mid-round option, a sleeper of mine.
• 19:17
  Speaker 1: Marcus Jones is a tremendous player out of the nickel.
• 19:20
  Speaker 1: He's a dynamic returner as well. He's someone who has
• 19:23
  Speaker 1: a flair for making plays on the football. Milton Williams,
• 19:27
  Speaker 1: you have Christian Barrymore. Robert Spillane, their linebacker, is someone
• 19:31
  Speaker 1: who I've liked since.
• 19:32
  Speaker 2: He was with the Steelers.
• 19:33
  Speaker 1: He's a hard hitter, and he's taken on a much
• 19:36
  Speaker 1: more prominent role. He was with the Raiders as well,
• 19:39
  Speaker 1: but with New England, he's taken on a more prominent role,
• 19:41
  Speaker 1: and he was actually elected a team captain. Of course,
• 19:44
  Speaker 1: they also have Christian Ellis, a former Eagle So this
• 19:48
  Speaker 1: is a pretty good group, but they're going against a
• 19:50
  Speaker 1: Seattle team that is also pretty stout on both sides
• 19:55
  Speaker 1: of the ball as well. Defensively, I mean, Witherspoon, Devin Witherspoon,
• 20:02
  Speaker 1: and Josh Jobe at corner are two players that I
• 20:04
  Speaker 1: will be highlighting in this matchup going against A.J.
• 20:07
  Speaker 2: Brown and Romeo Dobbs. If you followed along with my
• 20:10
  Speaker 2: coverage really.
• 20:11
  Speaker 1: Since 2022 when Josh Jobe was a UDFA with the Eagles,
• 20:16
  Speaker 1: I've been a Josh Jobe guy. And watching his ascent
• 20:20
  Speaker 1: and finding a place that suits his skill set, a
• 20:22
  Speaker 1: place where he belongs and he's sort of settled in,
• 20:25
  Speaker 1: it's been really cool to watch his journey as an
• 20:27
  Speaker 1: undrafted free agent to becoming a starter again. He's a
• 20:30
  Speaker 1: little grabby, though, so if he's matched up against A.J. Brown,
• 20:34
  Speaker 1: I would expect a penalty or two, some DPI calls.
• 20:37
  Speaker 1: He's just a handsy physical corner, and A.J. 's a
• 20:40
  Speaker 1: physical receiver, so that is going to be a fascinating matchup,
• 20:44
  Speaker 1: and then Witherspoon is one of the better young corners
• 20:46
  Speaker 1: in football, and we'll see what assignment.
• 20:48
  Speaker 2: He ends up getting, whether he travels or not.
• 20:51
  Speaker 1: But I think that that is going to be sort
• 20:53
  Speaker 1: of the game within the game there because Drake May,
• 20:56
  Speaker 1: he'll put it on his receivers. He's an accurate quarterback
• 20:59
  Speaker 1: and he has a good arm. So that could be
• 21:01
  Speaker 1: the determining factor. But I don't know that there's going
• 21:03
  Speaker 1: to be a ton of fireworks. Sometimes in week one,
• 21:06
  Speaker 1: those games are a little choppy. I know that you'll
• 21:08
  Speaker 1: hear oftentimes a lot of players say that it's sort
• 21:11
  Speaker 1: of the extension of the preseason for the starters because
• 21:13
  Speaker 1: they don't play in the preseason.
• 21:15
  Speaker 2: I don't like that. I don't necessarily buy that. Look
• 21:19
  Speaker 2: at college football. Those guys have a short.
• 21:22
  Speaker 1: Amount of time, and they're out there week one, and
• 21:26
  Speaker 1: they're playing at a pretty high level. And the Eagles
• 21:30
  Speaker 1: have had practices, and other teams, they've had practices leading.
• 21:34
  Speaker 2: Up to this.
• 21:34
  Speaker 1: So I don't know that I buy the sentiment that, well,
• 21:39
  Speaker 1: the first couple weeks of the season should be expected
• 21:42
  Speaker 1: to be a little sloppy because they don't play in
• 21:45
  Speaker 1: the preseason. But there's a lot of hype for this game.
• 21:49
  Speaker 1: I am really looking forward to that. Of course, you
• 21:50
  Speaker 1: have the Rams 49ers on Thursday. That's another treat where
• 21:54
  Speaker 1: you're seeing essentially a super team in the Rams.
• 21:57
  Speaker 2: And I can't wait to see.
• 21:58
  Speaker 1: Miles Garrett and Trent McDuffie, how they fit into that
• 22:03
  Speaker 1: defense with the Rams. And there's just a lot of excitement.
• 22:06
  Speaker 1: And football, before you know it, will be off and
• 22:09
  Speaker 1: running come tomorrow night.
• 22:11
  Speaker 3: Hey, Philly fans, game day is stressful enough. Parking, traffic,
• 22:15
  Speaker 3: long lines, we've all been there. But when it comes
• 22:18
  Speaker 3: to your cannabis... Camden Apothecary makes it easy. This is
• 22:23
  Speaker 3: the dispensary for sports fans. Just minutes outside of Philly
• 22:27
  Speaker 3: with plenty of free parking. You'll be in and out fast.
• 22:30
  Speaker 3: No hassle, no waiting. And they don't just care about convenience.
• 22:34
  Speaker 3: Camden Apothecary is all about the guest experience. Their staff
• 22:38
  Speaker 3: makes sure you feel taken care of every time you
• 22:41
  Speaker 3: walk in. Plus, they carry only the best quality cannabis
• 22:45
  Speaker 3: at the fairest price. So whether you're stocking up for
• 22:49
  Speaker 3: the tailgate, the watch party, or celebrating a big win,
• 22:52
  Speaker 3: you know you're getting the good stuff without overpaying. They
• 22:56
  Speaker 3: even show love to the community with specials for fans, students,
• 23:01
  Speaker 3: service members, and healthcare pros. Camden Apothecary, top quality cannabis,
• 23:06
  Speaker 3: great prices, and an experience made for Philly fans 21
• 23:09
  Speaker 3: and up.
• 23:11
  Speaker 1: And then just quickly before I get out of here,
• 23:13
  Speaker 1: I just wanted to say that, Brett Toth, former Eagles
• 23:20
  Speaker 1: offensive lineman, you know, he had a concussion in training
• 23:24
  Speaker 1: camp that kept him out for three weeks, and then
• 23:27
  Speaker 1: the 49ers put him on season-ending injured reserve with that
• 23:30
  Speaker 1: same concussion, so that's a tough deal.
• 23:35
  Speaker 2: Brett is a great guy. He played a big.
• 23:38
  Speaker 1: Role for the Eagles last season, a testament of hard
• 23:41
  Speaker 1: work and perseverance and His journey was really fun to
• 23:45
  Speaker 1: chronicle during his time here in Philadelphia. And that's a
• 23:49
  Speaker 1: scary situation. And I just kind of wanted to put
• 23:52
  Speaker 1: that out there. And it's really a tough deal and
• 23:55
  Speaker 1: something that you hate to see, especially for someone who
• 23:58
  Speaker 1: is as good of a guy as Brett is. So
• 24:02
  Speaker 1: just a little bit of former Eagles news there to
• 24:04
  Speaker 1: close things out. But with that, that is going to
• 24:07
  Speaker 1: do it for this episode of DiCecco Daily. I'm Andrew DiCecco,
• 24:11
  Speaker 1: and I'll catch you all on the next one.